The African Security Congress (ASC) has also come out to demand that Transnet be brought before the portfolio committee on public enterprises to account for the awarding of an over R1.3 billion security tender.
The tender in question is set to be linked with the entity’s general manager for safety and security at a Transnet subsidiary.
According to reports, the manager was placed on suspension between December, 2021 to January, 2022 after Transnet’s patented prototype contact wire reflector (CWR) was spotted at the offices of Fidelity Security Services.
Leader of the ASC Tebogo Motloung said it was not clear as to how the manager was involved in the appointment of the same service provider to a contract estimated to be worth over R1.3 billion.
“Whether or not there’s a legitimate link between head of Transnet security and Fidelity, it’s for the relevant parliamentary portfolio committee to determine. For now, we are calling for an open investigation into how state funds are spent at Transnet.
“If they have nothing to hide, then they will have no problem with opening their books and being transparent about the dealings that led to the lucrative tender landing on Fidelity’s laps,” said Motloung.
This comes as Transnet still faces questions about how it awarded a contract to Fidelity Services Group, an organisation currently being investigated for possible tender fraud/irregularity at another state-owned entity, Eskom.
“We are echoing the sentiments expressed by the EFF on this matter. In a statement issued by the party, it mentioned that the Fidelity Services Group is currently under investigation for possible tender fraud and irregularities at another state-owned entity, Eskom.
“Therefore, the decision to award them such a significant contract only adds to the existing doubts surrounding their ethical practices,” Motloung said.
ASC recently joined the EFF in its call to get Transnet to be hauled before the portfolio committee on public enterprises.
In its statement on the matter, the party described the awarding of the contract as “blatant signals that corruption in the procurement process were being ignored”.
The EFF further said such actions undermined the principles of transparency and fairness which governed such transactions, adding that such blatant disregard for ethical conduct further entrenched a culture of impunity and corruption within state-owned enterprises.
“It is no surprise that Transnet would engage with a company mired in serious allegations of misconduct. Our SOEs have been systematically destroyed by the African National Congress, which has turned them into breeding grounds for corruption and criminality,” the party said at the time.
The Red Berets said it would be testing the claims from Transnet to see if indeed due process was followed in awarding that contract.
“The EFF will therefore be making submissions, through the portfolio committee on public enterprises for Transnet to account for awarding this tender, and call for a transparent and thorough investigation into the procurement process.”
Motloung added they were also calling for and demanding an honest account.
“In 2022, Eskom awarded the company a R300 million security tender to look after the power utility’s infrastructure for three months. The multimillion-rand tender was awarded without a competitive bidding process. That decision was backed by a bogus security report compiled by former police chief George Fivaz at the request of former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter,” Motloung said.
When asked about the murky deal, Eskom responded that it was reviewing the tender, according to reports. “Fidelity appears to have captured state-owned entities and as an organisation, we will not sit by and watch our state organs collapsing from corrupt dealings,” he added.
The state-owned company has been embroiled in legal tussles over security-related contracts. In April this year, Amahlo Joint Venture took Transnet to court over the termination of a R1.1bn contract.
The Star